News

2013-09-18

ASIA/IRAQ - Elections in Iraqi Kurdistan: Christian candidates in no particular order

Erbil (Agenzia Fides) – In view of the upcoming elections for the regional parliament of Iraqi Kurdistan - scheduled for Saturday, September 21 - Christian candidates participate with a plurality of competing lists .
According to information gathered by Fides Agency, the political cartel which brought together most of the political formations inspired by Christians - including the National Assyrian Party and the Chaldean National Council - is the Assembly of the Chaldean organizations, Assyrian and Syriac, under the presidency of the Assyrian Christian Emmanuel Koshaba. Added to this is the Rafdein Party - linked to the Assyrian Democratic Movement and presided by Yunadam Kanna - And the Son of the Two Rivers Party, under the presidency of Kalita Shaba. Other Christian candidates – in particular Armenian - are present individually in other lists.
The flowering of parties of Christian nature, while expressing a lively interest in the public sphere, is also marked by the risk of fragmentation on ethnic basis that has always characterized the participation of Christian minorities in political life in post-Saddam Iraq. 2,803,000 Iraqis are called to the polls to elect 111 representatives in the fourth regional legislature of Iraqi Kurdistan. The "quota system" for the protection of ethnic and religious minorities, reserves at least 6 seats to Christians (5 for Chaldeans, Assyrians and Syriacs and one for the Armenians) and 6 others to the Turkmen.
Among the issues that are most dear to the Christian representatives in the regional parliament of Iraqi Kurdistan, there is always the development of social services for the towns and villages in the Nineveh Plain and maintaining the demographic balance in the area, characterized by a strong Christian presence. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 18/09/2013)